Amritsar, February 23 (Bharat Khabarnama Bureau): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National Secretary and Delhi government minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa has made it clear that the BJP will contest the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections at its own and will have no alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal.
On his first visit to Amritsar after becoming a minister, Sirsa addressed the media at the BJP district office and conveyed the party’s stance.
He accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of destroying Delhi during its 10-year rule instead of focusing on development and claimed that the party is now exploiting Punjab with the same intent. He appealed to the people of Punjab to evaluate where the AAP government has led the state. “Those who ruined Delhi are now talking about bringing the ‘Delhi model’ to Punjab,” he said.
Sirsa further alleged that the AAP government has looted Punjab, increasing the state’s debt to nearly Rs 4 lakh crore. He also raised concerns over the deteriorating law and order situation in the border state.
He pointed out that in the last 12 years, no Sikh had been made a minister in Delhi, and the Arvind Kejriwal-led government never appointed a Sikh to a ministerial position. However, he claimed that the BJP demonstrated its commitment to Sikh interests by appointing a Sikh as a minister in Delhi in 2025.
Additionally, he accused the previous AAP government in Delhi of ending the recruitment of Punjabi teachers. Currently, 850 teaching positions are vacant and Punjabi has been reduced to an optional language, whereas it was previously a mandatory subject.
Sirsa declined to comment on the ongoing tensions between the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and Sri Akal Takht Sahib.
Earlier, upon his arrival at the BJP district office, Sirsa was welcomed by party leaders. He also paid obeisance at the Durgiana Temple where he was honored by the temple committee led by former BJP minister Lakshmi Kanta Chawla.
Notably, political circles are abuzz with speculation that the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) have devised a future strategy to establish a state government in Punjab in 2027. As part of this plan, Sirsa has been made a minister in Delhi to win the trust of Sikhs and lead the election campaign in Punjab to draw Sikh voters toward the saffron party.
